French former foreign minister returns gifted statues
Dominique de Villepin, a potential candidate in France's 2027 presidential election, returned two Napoleon statuettes he received as gifts while serving as foreign minister.
Paris: Dominique de Villepin, a potential candidate in France’s 2027 presidential election, on Monday returned two Napoleon statuettes that he received as gifts while serving as the country's foreign minister.
The statuettes are reportedly worth nearly $150,000, but their value has been disputed by de Villepin and others.The items were allegedly purchased and gifted to de Villepin by Blaise Compaore, who was the president of Burkina Faso at the time.
Robert Bourgi, a lobbyist known for his influence in France’s post-colonial relations with African countries, acted as an intermediary in the transaction.Bourgi's involvement is significant because he previously helped sink the 2017 presidential campaign of former prime minister Francois Fillon after revelations about Fillon accepting expensive suits worth €13,000.
In 2011, Bourgi also claimed to have brought suitcases of cash from African countries as gifts to former presidents Jacques Chirac and de Villepin between 1997 and 2005.
However, no further action was taken against them.De Villepin's entourage stated that the statuettes were valued at a significantly lower price than Bourgi claimed.
According to an appraisal by a French expert accredited by the courts, one of the statuettes could be worth between €18,000 and €20,000, while the other was estimated to be worth between €10,000 and €12,000.De Villepin has maintained that he believed the statuettes were gifts paid for by Bourgi and was unaware of their true origin.
His team dismissed the accusations as politically motivated attempts to discredit him during a sensitive time when former president Nicolas Sarkozy faces ongoing legal issues.
Sarkozy and de Villepin have long had strained relations.Bourgi, who is a supporter of Sarkozy, denied any involvement in the revelations.
De Villepin has not yet formally announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election but has expressed interest in running for the position.
The statuettes are reportedly worth nearly $150,000, but their value has been disputed by de Villepin and others.The items were allegedly purchased and gifted to de Villepin by Blaise Compaore, who was the president of Burkina Faso at the time.
Robert Bourgi, a lobbyist known for his influence in France’s post-colonial relations with African countries, acted as an intermediary in the transaction.Bourgi's involvement is significant because he previously helped sink the 2017 presidential campaign of former prime minister Francois Fillon after revelations about Fillon accepting expensive suits worth €13,000.
In 2011, Bourgi also claimed to have brought suitcases of cash from African countries as gifts to former presidents Jacques Chirac and de Villepin between 1997 and 2005.
However, no further action was taken against them.De Villepin's entourage stated that the statuettes were valued at a significantly lower price than Bourgi claimed.
According to an appraisal by a French expert accredited by the courts, one of the statuettes could be worth between €18,000 and €20,000, while the other was estimated to be worth between €10,000 and €12,000.De Villepin has maintained that he believed the statuettes were gifts paid for by Bourgi and was unaware of their true origin.
His team dismissed the accusations as politically motivated attempts to discredit him during a sensitive time when former president Nicolas Sarkozy faces ongoing legal issues.
Sarkozy and de Villepin have long had strained relations.Bourgi, who is a supporter of Sarkozy, denied any involvement in the revelations.
De Villepin has not yet formally announced his candidacy for the 2027 presidential election but has expressed interest in running for the position.
